$99+ Cheap flights to San Juan

San Juan, Puerto Rico climate

San Juan’s climate is typically warm year-round, but the city does see its share of tropical storms. The average temperature is 82 degrees (Fahrenheit) during the year, and during the winter the temperature can drop to the 60s. With this type of weather gracing the city, there is no bad time to book flights to San Juan. 

Best Time to Fly to San Juan, Puerto Rico

San Juan welcomes most tourists during the winter and early spring. Booking flights to San Juan during this time might be expensive, but if you plan ahead and book San Juan flights and accommodations in advance you’re likely to get a good deal.

The pre-Lenten Carnival attracts many visitors, with its parades, music, beauty pageants, and parties all over the island. Easter week is another busy time, as is the entire period when colleges have spring breaks.

In addition to the Carnival festivities, there are patron saints’ festivals throughout the year, with week-long celebrations.

Peak Season:

Mid-December to mid-April is the busiest — and most expensive — time of the year. Throughout the island, but especially in San Juan, prices are considerably higher during this period.

Off Season:

Summer and fall are quieter and less expensive times to take cheap flights to San Juan. And there are two annual events for music lovers. The Pablo Casals Festival takes place in early June. The Festival of Puerto Rican Music is held in November, with venues in both San Juan and elsewhere on the island.

Getting around San Juan, Puerto Rico

Bigger hotels generally offer free shuttle buses into Old San Juan, where you can either travel by foot or take advantage of the free trolleys. Buses run in some areas, but not all. There are taxis, but you’ll have to negotiate a price with the driver based on your destination. Rental cars are available as well, but make sure you have your ID handy. Also, some streets are not as well marked as others.

San Juan, Puerto Rico Travel Information

• One venue for Puerto Rico’s Latino chic is surprising — the Museo de Arte. Some Puerto Ricans come to the art museum at least once a week, and not just for its fine collection of Puerto Rican art. They also come for productions in the 400-seat theater. And trendy locals can be seen strolling the museum’s lovely five-acre garden.
• San Juan has done a great job of adapting old buildings to new uses. La Princesa, for centuries one of the most feared prisons in the Caribbean, now houses the Puerto Rico Tourism Company. It features an exhibit of art by Puerto Ricans, which is free to the public.
• Another example of reuse is the 19th century insane asylum, the Antiguo Manicomio Insular, which is now the home of the Puerto Rican Academy of Fine Arts, with its lovely courtyard fountains surrounded by elegant iron fences.
• One of the largest cave systems in the world is Camuy Caverns. Visitors explore the cave by trolley and on foot, over ramps and bridges. You can walk down the 205 steps into the Spiral Sinkhole and view the petroglyphs etched in the wall of Cathedral Cave by ancient Tainos, Puerto Rico’s original inhabitants.
• In addition to the beaches, Puerto Rico has many golf courses and tennis courts. There is some good bicycling as long as you avoid the main streets and roads. For biking, walking, or jogging, check out the boardwalk at Parque Lineal Marti Coli, with a stretch of nearly two miles along Cano de Martin Pena; eventually, the total length will be nearly 12 miles, from the old city to Rio Piedras.
• For spectacular natural beauty, visit El Yunque, a cool, semi-tropical rain forest in the mountains at the eastern end of the island. The rain descends in rocky rivers with many waterfalls and pools. At higher elevations, the water is clean enough for drinking and swimming. You will find unique plants and animals, including the lovely endangered emerald green Puerto Rican Parrot.
• San Juan remains true to its old school roots. It’s hard to find information about San Juan online, as very few attractions are on the Internet. Take an up-to-date guidebook with you on your flight to San Juan and read up on the city’s history and tourist attractions before you arrive.